Holiday Health, Stress & Sunshine

Written by Dr Arien van der Merwe

INTRODUCTION

Many of us yearn for the summer holidays to rest, recover and replenish.

Research however, highlights that nearly 80% of people worldwide dread the year end summer or winter holidays, and even experience higher distress levels than at any other time of the year.

Many also start the new year not feeling rested at all. Most important is to become aware and identify that this might be our experience, even if only at times, otherwise we might have such high expectations of the holidays, that we might feel there’s something wrong with us if we’re not feeling jolly all the time. Causes for holiday stress are legion. We have expectations of this season to balance a whole year of imbalance!

I’ll address a few common stress triggers and then provide some ways of dealing with them.

COMMON STRESS TRIGGERS & SOLUTIONS 

• Family Closeness and Being Together All the Time

Family skeletons can come out. The closeknit family go about their usual lives separately and are now spending more time together. Allow for together and separate time, especially if you are blessed with teenagers who might seem to want to spend more time with their friends than their parents, or being cocooned in their rooms, with computer games, social media, or chat rooms and internet channels. Grandparents, please try your best not to interfere 😊. Balance is key!

• Family Chore List

Many people who work, already have higher stress levels before end of day, because of going back to home duty: overseeing homework, cleaning house, preparing dinner, sandwiches, etc.

There might be help and support at home, but not on holiday. Prepare a simple, short chore list where each family member share and contribute.

• Weighty Issues

If you followed a strict weight control program to lose fat weight especially for summertime, what now?

Maintain weight lost, but do not insist on losing more, over these few weeks. Be lenient and patient with yourself. After all, activity levels are higher during the holidays, therefore you will tend to build muscle and burn fat. Allow some cheat meals, a tot or 2 of alcohol and some couch potato time. Lower stress and more relaxation will also be beneficial for fat loss. 😉

• Loneliness

So many people are on their own this time of year, for various reasons.

Be on the lookout for, and connect, to older and lonely people around you. Eye contact, a smile and a brief chat might be all that’s required to lift from loneliness to love and a sense of belonging. Choose to be kind, respectful and gentle.

• Mental Health

Exacerbation of mental health challenges, especially depression and anxiety. For many this time can actually be the most difficult time of the year.

According to a report by EAPA-SA, conservative research-based estimates show that as many as one quarter of South African employees will be diagnosed with depression during the course of their employment. However, only between 15% to 25% will seek and receive help. Holiday time might concentrate and even raise these figures.

A study conducted by SAGE Journals found that one in six South Africans suffer from anxiety, depression, or substance overuse disorders. 40% of South Africans with HIV suffer from a mental disorder. 41% of pregnant women are depressed. If motor vehicle accidents and crime are taken into consideration, about 60% of South Africans could be suffering from post-traumatic stress. Only 27% of South Africans with severe mental disorders receive treatment.

A survey conducted by Medical Brief showed that 38% of South Africans feel tired and complain of low energy levels, 35% are easily annoyed and irritated, 33% have trouble concentrating, 28% feel restless and on edge, 22% feel a sense of loss, 19% are lonely and 14% feel hopeless.

This is at its worst during holiday season.

Be aware, be caring, seek support!

Mental health has to be a priority. Seek help if needed. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please reach out to SADAG’s call-centre for support and guidance

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) offer a free call-centre service from 8am to 8pm, Monday – Sunday (including public holidays) on 0ll 262 6396 or SMS 31393 12.

SA statistics for holiday stress are not readily available, surveys conducted by Sesame Care in the United States found that 52% of respondents reported an increase in anxiety, 41% reported an increase in depression, and 66% reported an increase in financial stress during the 2023 holiday season. Another survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association found that around 47% of service/retail workers and 54% of healthcare workers say their stress level increases during the holiday season.

Also refer to Theme 7 (Holistic Mental Health) of our TRANSFORM Membership for more practical tips, tools and techniques. Click here for more information on TRANSFORM.

• A Healthy Holiday

On a less serious note! Eat healthily and stay hydrated… there are plenty of seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables. If you live in the southern hemisphere enjoy summer salads, smoothies, iced teas or if you’re in the northern hemisphere, enjoy healthy comfort foods and Anri’s legit hot chocolate. Some cheating allowed!

Click here to refer to Anri’s FitFoodSMART Recipe eBook for ideas or to our TRANSFORM Membership Recipes or click here for Anri’s free recipes.

• Human Being vs Human Doing

Take time out to be alone in nature to reflect on year past, and contemplate inner goals, resolutions for year ahead. Walk/hike as family and friends in nature partly in silence, stillness and gratitude.

Fishing will do the trick for some folks! Keeping a journal – free hand writing or free rhyme prose and poetry, drawing, of dreams, doing stick figures. Use left brain analysing mode, but now is the time for exploring right brain creativity, for whole brain integration.

Listening and moving to harmonic music, playing word games, building jigsaw puzzles as family – choosing an image together, glue and stick to hard board, frame later as happy holiday memory.

• Sunshine & Vitamin D

There is good reason why vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it makes vitamin D from cholesterol (e.g. of why you do need cholesterol, also for happy brain/neuropeptides/chemicals). The sun’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays hit cholesterol in the skin cells, providing the energy and raw material for vitamin D synthesis.

Vitamin D has many roles in the body and is essential for optimal health. Vit. D informs cells in the gut to absorb calcium, magnesium and phosphorus — minerals that are essential for maintaining strong and healthy bones.

Low vitamin D levels have been linked to some of the following:

• Osteoporosis and ragitis/rickets (weak or soft bones in children, and is caused by either dietary deficiency or genetic causes. Symptoms include bowed legs, stunted growth, bone pain, large forehead, and trouble sleeping.  Most common cause being vitamin D, combined with calcium and phosphorous deficiency)
• Cancer
• Depression (refer mental health)
• Muscle weakness

Only a handful of foods contain significant amounts of vitamin D. These include cod liver oil, trout, salmon, tuna, beef liver, egg yolks and sardines. However, you would need to eat them nearly every day to get enough vitamin D.

I recommend at least 1 hour sun exposure per day….early morning within 1-2 hours after sunrise and 1 hour before sunset; and not more 30 minutes later in the day, then in shade, with good quality natural skin protection cream and plenty of water. I also recommend a daily amino chelated, right ratio and quantity of calcium, magnesium, vitamins D and C, boron, phosphorus, potassium in one combination and correct quantity. Click here for our Calcium & Magnesium supplement.

It’s important to note that the sun’s UVB rays cannot penetrate through windows.

Enjoy healthy, responsible sun exposure, enough water and time in nature, in sunny South Africa.